I'm curious if having a face vise on the left side and a tail vise on the right, both flush to the benchtop, is truly the best configuration for woodworking. I set up a vise on the left-front of my bench based on what I've seen online, but honestly, I find it doesn't really help much with tasks like hand-planing. I prefer using a planing stop instead. Plus, it feels way too low for things like sawing and chiseling, especially for smaller pieces. I've tried out some inline vises to see if a tail vise might help, but I still don't see the advantage. For me, hold downs and clamps do a better job of securing materials than just pinching them at the ends. I'm open to hearing what others think about the setup and if there are better options!
4 Answers
I opted for a face vise on the left and another face vise where the tail vise would typically go. Honestly, I’m still figuring out this new layout. I don’t feel like the tail vise is necessary since my face vise can also work like one thanks to a dog on it. It’s been good so far, but I’ll see how effective it is in the long run!
You actually need a face vise when you’re trying to plane the edge of a wider board, especially if it can't stand up on the bench. For those times, it really comes in handy! I also use the Veritas inline vises for specific planes, but I wish I had a real vise instead since those inline ones can be a bit cumbersome to deal with.
I think Chris Schwarz discusses this in his book 'The Anarchist’s Workbench'. He makes some good points about the functionality of vises. From my experience, having a face vise on the left is super useful for planing long edges and cutting joinery. It keeps everything in reach for your dominant hand and helps prevent the workpiece from rotating while you work on it. Definitely check out that book if you want more insight!
I had a plan to put a tail vise on the right side, but I just never did it. Now, I think it’d be hard to add one to my setup. I built Rex Krueger's English Joiner’s Bench, and I've got a leg vise on the left with a planing stop. It all works for me without the tail vise, so I’m not too bothered about missing it!